The Bruins had the chance to close the Lightning out after holding a 2-1 lead after the first period in Game 6, but Tampa stormed back to grab a 5-4 win and force Friday’s Game 7. With a trip to the Stanley Cup[1] finals on the line, Lightning players can appreciate when they did in fending off elimination in Tampa, but are done celebrating the win, or any of the series’ first six games, for that matter.

“The six games mean absolutely nothing now. We did our job. We gave ourselves a chance to play in this game by winning last game,” center Steven Stamkos, who had three points in Game 6, said Friday. “I thought we had a lot of positives, but we have to focus on some things for tonight defensively. We don’t like giving up that many goals, but the power play was going, we got some guys on the board that we need to get going.

“This is going to be an exciting challenge for us tonight. We know it’s not going to be easy, but we need everything going on the right path for us to win tonight.”

This will be Tampa’s second Game 7 of the postseason, as they trailed the Penguins[2], 3-1, in the first round before rattling off three wins in a row to advance to the second round. Showing the ability to stay alive is nothing knew for the Lightning, but throughout the dressing room, the team’s mindset is the same: keep the past in the past.

“We did [earn the right to play in Game 7],” defenseman Eric Brewer said after Stamkos’ comments. “That’s a good point, but at the end of the day, it’s a Game 7. Both teams recognize that the other six are gone. One team is going to play on, and one’s not, so you just really have to keep your mind in small places and not get too far ahead of yourself.”

Should the Lightning win Friday, it will be the team’s first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since they defeated the Flames for the Cup in 2004.

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